Venting for stromatapelma calceatum

ShaunMot

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Nov 11, 2016
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24
Hi guys, upgrading my stromatopelma calceatums' enclosure, and I have the options of unvented, a 28mm vent or a 35mm vent. Any ideas which would be the best? The dimensions of the tank are 22cm height, and a 9x9 base. The tarantula is a 1.5 inch sling.
 

EulersK

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Feb 22, 2013
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There's no real "best" ventilation, so long as it's there in some manner. I personally don't like those circle vents just for aesthetic reasons, no more. The only thing you need to stay away from is screen... beyond that, it's all preference.
 

EulersK

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Two issues. Firstly, their tarsal claws can get stuck, leading to an injury and (in extreme cases) death. I wouldn't worry about an arboreal dying from that, though, but the tarsal claw aspect is still a problem. Secondly and just as important, tarantulas can chew through mesh screen. Unless you've got that hardened steel stuff that's often used on snake enclosures, the spider can chew through it. That's bad especially considering the species in question here.

The only reason I don't like that enclosure is because of the top-opening design. It's a great way to have an angry jack-in-the-box.
 

ShaunMot

Arachnopeon
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Nov 11, 2016
Messages
24
Two issues. Firstly, their tarsal claws can get stuck, leading to an injury and (in extreme cases) death. I wouldn't worry about an arboreal dying from that, though, but the tarsal claw aspect is still a problem. Secondly and just as important, tarantulas can chew through mesh screen. Unless you've got that hardened steel stuff that's often used on snake enclosures, the spider can chew through it. That's bad especially considering the species in question here.

The only reason I don't like that enclosure is because of the top-opening design. It's a great way to have an angry jack-in-the-box.
I don't like it for that reason either. When it gets bigger I'd like to put it in an expo terra nano, measuring 20x20 base and 30 cm height , but I feel that's a bit too big for it at the moment.
 

EulersK

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Try your hand at making these. All of my hot arboreals (and some terrestrials...) get the same treatment. The great part is that this will work with either terrestrial or arboreal.

Universal Enclosure
View attachment 210519 ........... View attachment 210520
Alright, let's do this. Now this is a very simple project. The supplies needed are:
-Aquarium of any size (this is a small 5g, ~$10 at Petsmart)
-I pair of hinges ($1.35 at Home Depot)
-12 neodymium magnets ($3.95 at Home Depot)
-Hot glue (... cheap)

I wanted a universal enclosure. What do I mean by this? It needs to be functional for either an arboreal or a terrestrial. Note that since this is an aquarium, it has zero cross-ventilation. Take that into account when choosing a species to live in this.

First, cut a single piece of acrylic sized to drop right into the lid of the aquarium. Mark your line for a hatch, cut that, and add the hinges. Remember to drill the air holes before installing the hinges. Now place the acrylic off to the side.

Take 6 of your magnets and arrange them in all four corners and halfway along the long edge (see picture). Since these magnets will be pulled up away from their base, I chose to use a dot of super glue to hold it in place as well as a layer of hot glue around the edges. This may be overkill, though. Leave that to dry for however long you need - I left it overnight. In the meantime, remove the protective plastic from your acrylic and install your hinges.

When your base magnets are set, place the acrylic lid on the aquarium. Put a dot of hot glue over each magnet (which you can clearly see through the acrylic) and drop another magnet onto the hot glue. The two magnets will attract and set your new magnet in place. Remember to test north-south on the magnets before dropping it! Let that hot glue set, and you're all done.

What is explained above will make a terrestrial enclosure. To convert it to an arboreal, we'll need to contain the dirt somehow. To do this, cut a piece of acrylic that will fit inside the aquarium on the opposite end of the feeding hatch. This will allow the removal of the entire front panel without having dirt spill out.

Features
-No cumbersome locking mechanism
-Usable with either terrestrial or arboreal
-Completely removable lid
-Feeding hatch

Mistakes
You'll notice that the holes on the far left are... well, terrible. In short - don't use a Dremel to create holes. It does not work.

Notes
Do not use either one of these for anything but tarantulas! Scorpions and centipedes escape from Really Useful Boxes extremely easily, and I haven't tested the aquarium on either of those creatures. There's a reason I put this in the tarantula subforum. You've been warned.
 

ShaunMot

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 11, 2016
Messages
24
Try your hand at making these. All of my hot arboreals (and some terrestrials...) get the same treatment. The great part is that this will work with either terrestrial or arboreal.
Okay, thanks for the help :)
 
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